5 Mistakes I Made When I First Ran Mini Sessions
(And What I Do Differently Now)
When I first started offering mini sessions, I honestly thought it would be a breeze—quick sessions, happy families, and a lovely little boost for my business.
But the reality? Let’s just say it was a learning curve.
I made a lot of mistakes in those early days—ones that left me feeling burnt out, underpaid, and wondering if minis were really worth it. The good news? Every single mistake helped me refine how I do things now… and these days, mini sessions are one of my favourite offerings. They’re joyful, profitable, and flow so much better.
So, if you’re thinking of offering minis in your own business (or maybe you’ve tried and they didn’t go quite to plan), I’m sharing five lessons I learned the hard way—so you don’t have to.
1. I Priced Way Too Low
Like so many of us in the beginning, I thought “mini” had to mean “cheap.” So I undercharged, overdelivered, and ended up doing hours of work for barely any profit.
What I do now: I price based on the value I’m offering, not just the time I’m shooting. My minis are still affordable for families—but they also honour my time, energy, and experience. (If you want to peek at exactly how I price mine, I’ve popped it all into my free Mini Session Pricing Guide!)
2. I Booked Way Too Many In One Day
At first, I packed in as many sessions as I possibly could—thinking more bookings = more income. But I didn’t leave room to breathe, reset, or even eat. By the end of the day, I was absolutely shattered… and I know the quality of my work dipped because of it.
What I do now: I limit how many I offer and leave little pockets of space between sessions. It gives me time to reset and stay fully present for every family. It’s made a huge difference to how the day feels—for me and my clients.
3. I Had No Idea How to Upsell Without Feeling Salesy
After I delivered the galleries, I’d sit back and hope someone would upgrade or order extras. And when they didn’t? I took it personally. Truthfully, I didn’t know how to offer those extras in a way that felt good.
What I do now: I’ve created a simple upsell flow that’s clear, helpful, and still feels like me. I offer upgrade options in a gentle, no-pressure way, and I make it super easy for clients to say yes. And guess what? Most of them do! (I walk you through my whole approach inside the free pricing guide, too.)
4. I Didn’t Know What the Minis Were For
I was just winging it, if I’m honest. I knew I wanted to do mini sessions, but I hadn’t really thought about their purpose in my business. Were they to attract new clients? Book repeat families? Fill a quiet season?
What I do now: Every round of mini sessions has a clear intention—whether that’s reconnecting with returning clients or reaching new ones with something exciting and seasonal (like my daisy field minis—my fave!). Having that clarity has made a huge difference.
5. I Didn’t Have a Booking System in Place
Oh, the email chaos. Trying to match people to time slots manually was such a headache—and I spent way too long on admin.
What I do now: I use an online booking system that handles time slots, payments, and automatic emails. It saves me somuch time and makes the process smooth for clients, too.
The Bottom Line?
Mini sessions are amazing—but only when they’re set up to support you as much as they support your clients. With a few tweaks and a clearer structure, they’ve become one of the easiest, most joyful ways I serve families.
If you’re thinking about offering mini sessions but feel a bit unsure where to start—or how to make sure they actually work for your business—I’ve created a free guide to help you out.
Inside my Mini Session Pricing Guide, I’ll show you:
-How I price my minis (without underselling myself)
-What I include (and what I don’t)
-My upselling tips that actually feel aligned
You can grab it here: Mini Session Pricing Guide
No fluff, no pressure—just real, practical help from someone who’s been there. I hope it gives you the confidence to create mini sessions you genuinely love running.
P.S. If you’re looking to make your mini session days (and everyday biz life!) even smoother, don’t miss my post on The Best Apps for Family Photographers. From booking systems to gallery delivery and editing tools, I’m sharing all the apps I actually use to keep things running with ease. It’s a good one—go have a peek!